Whiplash was given varied reviews, but averaged 69% on the PlayStation 2 and 70% on the Xbox. Despite mixed reviews, the game was featured on the cover of Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine. There was also some controversy over the game with animal cruelty.

Gameplay

Although Redmond (the rabbit) and Spanx (the weasel) are two animals chained together, the gameplay is much like any other platformer. The player controls only Spanx, using Redmond as a weapon or tool as the situation requires. Spanx has most standard platforming abilities, while Redmond is completely indestructible as a result of tests conducted upon him and so can be hurled into security guards, jammed into machinery, and used as a grappling hook, among other uses. Redmond can be inserted into special outlets to be set on fire, frozen, or become radioactive.

One unique aspect of the game is that many objects through the levels are breakable and are assigned a dollar amount which is tracked by the game; by completing the game with more than $6 million in damage, special content can be unlocked.

Defeating the humans through the levels released special snacks that the team can eat to increase both animals' levels, which increases Spanx' health or Redmond's rage. The player is also rewarded for freeing other animals trapped and caged by the company.

Development

The music for Whiplash was composed by Kurt Harland of Information Society. The music features a unique interactivity scheme: The responds to player input on the controller; the more input received through the controller buttons, the more the music does. The music also expands in response to successful hits of breakable objects and enemies.

Reception

Whiplash was released to mixed reviews. Game Informer gave Whiplash a 4 out of 10, saying "It’s simply so boring..."[8] My Gamer 7 out of 10,[9] as did IGN. IGN commented, "I'd recommend renting this game and bringing it back as soon as it gets old."[10]GamePro gave Whiplash a 4.5 out of 5 and added "Whiplash really is a hell of a game. With a little more polish before release, this game could have been a true masterpiece."[11] Spanx, who went on to be featured as a racer in Mad Dash Racing was cited by Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine as an underrated spin-off character in comparison to Tekken's Nina Williams, stating "...dig deeper and you'll find that Spanx is in the unusual position of actually being funny. Kinda rare for a game character."[12]